Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Hasan Arifin has said he is “satisfied” with the statements furnished by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy today.
“For now, the statement given by Arul is satisfying,” he told reporters at Parliament building.
When asked if Arul would be summoned again for further questioning, Hasan said that would happen only if there was a real need for it.
“We prioritise an accurate and fair report,” he said.
PAC Deputy Chairman Tan Seng Giaw said that Arul did not carry much “baggage” in 1MDB as he was appointed only in January this year.
“Everything happened before he took over,” he said, alluding to the period of between 2009 and 2014.- fmt
PAC chief's 'relieved' statement outshines 'cari makan'...
Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) chief Hasan Arifin has become a national embarrassment
for saying the PAC is satisfied with 1MDB's overseas business dealings,
said Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli.
Rafizi described the statement as worse than the PAC chief's cari makan faux pas.
"It is one thing if the PAC chairperson wants to proverbially 'cari makan', but making a statement of this nature will make him a national embarrassment.
"It is not for him to be personally satisfied with 1MDB CEO's explanation.
"His responsibility is to uncover answers to all the questions that 1MDB needs to explain and the public will be the judge on whether or not 1MDB has erred," Rafizi told Malaysiakini.
Hasan in a statement today said "the PAC is relieved that 1MDB's business dealings and investments overseas are with reputable foreign companies".
This followed a five-hour hearing the PAC had with 1MDB boss Arul Kanda Kandasamy.
Rafizi shot down the notion of 1MDB dealing with reputable overseas companies.
"1MDB's most famous international venture is with PetroSaudi, a company with no track record, no trace of operations, far from being an MNC or a Fortune500. In fact, we don't know what PetroSaudi is.
"1MDB invested in segregated portfolio companies (SPCs) based in Cayman which were completely shrouded in secrecy," he said.
The 1MDB-PetroSaudi joint venture (JV) was the subject of controversy after the Wall Street Journal claimed 1MDB funds meant for it ended in the coffers of Good Star Ltd, a company allegedly owned by business tycoon Jho Low.
The JV was called off in 2011 and 1MDB was compensated with a 49 percent stake in PetroSaudi Oil Services Limited (PSOSL) valued at US$2.2 billion.
This stake was sold to Bridge Partners International Investment in August that year in exchange for promissory notes worth US$2.32 billion.
This was the alleged assets 1MDB had in the Cayman Islands. - mk
Rafizi described the statement as worse than the PAC chief's cari makan faux pas.
"It is one thing if the PAC chairperson wants to proverbially 'cari makan', but making a statement of this nature will make him a national embarrassment.
"It is not for him to be personally satisfied with 1MDB CEO's explanation.
"His responsibility is to uncover answers to all the questions that 1MDB needs to explain and the public will be the judge on whether or not 1MDB has erred," Rafizi told Malaysiakini.
Hasan in a statement today said "the PAC is relieved that 1MDB's business dealings and investments overseas are with reputable foreign companies".
This followed a five-hour hearing the PAC had with 1MDB boss Arul Kanda Kandasamy.
Rafizi shot down the notion of 1MDB dealing with reputable overseas companies.
"1MDB's most famous international venture is with PetroSaudi, a company with no track record, no trace of operations, far from being an MNC or a Fortune500. In fact, we don't know what PetroSaudi is.
"1MDB invested in segregated portfolio companies (SPCs) based in Cayman which were completely shrouded in secrecy," he said.
The 1MDB-PetroSaudi joint venture (JV) was the subject of controversy after the Wall Street Journal claimed 1MDB funds meant for it ended in the coffers of Good Star Ltd, a company allegedly owned by business tycoon Jho Low.
The JV was called off in 2011 and 1MDB was compensated with a 49 percent stake in PetroSaudi Oil Services Limited (PSOSL) valued at US$2.2 billion.
This stake was sold to Bridge Partners International Investment in August that year in exchange for promissory notes worth US$2.32 billion.
This was the alleged assets 1MDB had in the Cayman Islands. - mk
Zaid tawar tunjuk ajar cara siasat kes pen drive Kevin Morais...
Bekas Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Zaid Ibrahim hari ini memberi tunjuk ajar kepada Peguam Negara Mohamed Tan Sri Apandi Ali dan Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar dalam menangani kemelut pen drive.
Bagi AG, katanya, Apandi perlu berbincang dengan pendahulunya, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, dan kemudiannya menghantar pasukan penyiasat ke Amerika Syarikat untuk mengkaji kandungan pen drive itu.
“Adakah beliau telah melihat pen drive Charles (Suresh Morais) didakwa diterimanya daripada abangnya (Kevin Anthony Morais)?
“Peguam Negara tidak boleh begitu cepat untuk membakul-sampahkan dakwaan yang sebegitu serius. Beliau harus berminat dengan aduan itu dan bukannya sama ada Charles seorang bankrap atau tidak.
“Tidak ada keperluan untuk berbuih di mulut apabila seseorang membuat dakwaan ke atas pemimpin kita. Tidak ada keperluan untuk berkelakuan seperti seorang pembantu peribadi kepada Perdana Menteri.
“Tenang dan profesional pada setiap masa,” katanya dalam blog yang dikemas-kini hari ini.
Rabu lalu, Charles mendedahkan akuan bersumpah kepada media yang mendakwa ada konspirasi dalam pembunuhan abangnya.
Beliau juga mendakwa memiliki sebuah pen drive yang memperincikan kes yang dikendalilkan oleh Kevin, seorang timbalan pendakwa raya kanan.
Ahli perniagaan yang berpangkalan di Amerika Syarikat mendakwa Kevin juga memberitahunya beliau mengendalikan kes-kes yang melibatkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan isterinya, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Kevin ‘dipinjamkan’ kepada Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), yang sedang menyiasat derma RM2.6 bilion dan dana SRC International sebanyak RM42 juta yang dilaporkan disalurkan ke dalam akaun bank peribadi Najib.
Perdana Menteri menafikan menggunakan wang rakyat itu untuk kepentingan peribadi.
Sementara itu, Zaid juga membidas Ketua Polis Negara kerana melabelkan Charles sebagai pengecut kerana melarikkan dirinya selepas membuat pendedahan SD itu.
“Ini tidak sepatutnya. Reaksi yang lebih profesional adalah mengakui betapa seriusnya tuduhan itu dan berikrar bahawa satu pasukan siasatan akan dihantar ke alamat Charles di Amerika Syarikat secepat mungkin.
“Serangannya ke atas (peguam) Americk (Sidhu), yang mewakili Charles, dan menghantar polis menyoal siasat peguam itu adalah gangguan yang tidak sepatutnya dilakukan oleh seorang pegawai polis atasan.
“Mengapa Americk bantu anak guamnya untuk merangka SD adalah kemungkinan satu jenayah tetapi tidak bagi Cecil Abraham (berhubung SD dari penyiasat persendirian P Balasubramaniam)?” soalnya.
Cecil disiasat oleh panel tiga anggota Jawatankuasa Lembaga Disipin, Majlis Peguam atas dakwaan salah laku profesional kerana didakwa menyediakan SD untuk Balasubramaniam yang bukan anak guamnya.
SD yang menjadi perbalahan itu adalah untuk menafikan pengakuan bersumpah pertama Balasubramaniam yang mendakwa Najib dan beberapa tokoh lain ada kaitan dengan pembunuhan warga Mongolia, Altantuya Shaariibuu pada tahun 2006.
Balasubramaniam juga kebetulan adalah anak guam Americk. - mk
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